Is There a Winner?
by Kris1907
Summary: A personal attempt to look into the first (of many) Lorelai and Emily confrontations about Luke.


_Disclaimer and Summary:  The traditional drill applies to me also, I don't own the characters, just the wit applied to them in this circumstance. No spoilers really, unless you care not to read a personal attempt at the first (of many) Emily and Lorelai confrontations about Luke. _

_Let me know the good, the bad, and the just plain disagreements. Kris _

_**Is There a Winner?** _

"Hey mom."

"Lorelai- you're early. Is that a new shirt? Don't think I've ever seen it before."

Looking down at her long sleeved mesh shirt, "Uh no. Just a different tank top underneath. Didn't have time for laundry last night so rainbow effect it is."

"Interesting as always." Emily moves through the hall, causing Lorelai to quickly lay down her coat on a chair and follow the voice, "- - out with Luke last night then? Out late? Did you go to one of those big truck events? I heard about one on the television the oth-"

"Big truck?"

"You know- where the trucks run over each other. The man on the television made it sound exciting. Seems lots of people enjoy those things."

"Monster Truck Rallies?"

"Think that was the name given. Gin?" Emily pours two drinks as she continues, "Saw it on the news."

"Saw what?"

"The big truck event."

"Sorry trying to follow but having some difficulties wrapping my mind around why you think we would have went to one."

"Cause Luke seems like the type they were interviewing. This one man ha-"

"Since when do you watch television?"

"Lorelai, you keep interrupting."

"I'm sorry but this is all just a little too bizarre for me to wrap my mind around without a drink… or four. But no mom, we didn't go to a big truck thingy. Luke would never go to one. I, however, might just to make fun of the people who do enjoy such events."

"Here." Emily hands her daughter a glass and sits down across from her, "They looked like people who were enjoying it- but the men were so filthy and overweight. I really don't think they should interview such people on the news. Will make our area look bad. Like we all act and look like that."

"Mom, sad to tell you but all areas do look like that. You just live in a protected neighbor is all. Your kind is a very large minority and a dying race." Lifting her drink, she mumbles the next comment into the liquor, "Some even think that's a good thing."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing mom."

Mixing her drink slowly, Emily watches her daughter's reactions closely, "Well, it seemed very loud. And claustrophobic. All those people."

"I'm sure they are mom. But I've never been so can't help you."

"No? Has Luke?"

Lorelei's eyes narrow, "I told you mom that no, he wouldn't. The mere suggestion of the event would cause a major rant about how unproductive such a thing is and how much money is wasted upon it."

"That's good to hear. So what does he do with his free time then?"

"He listens to me."

"Seriously Lorelai."

Her hand pauses with the drink at her lips before it drops unceremoniously back down to her lap, "I am being serious mom. He does not go monster trucking. He gets up at ungodly hours and works at his diner. There at his diner, I bother him often and he listens to me while keeping the people in food. And when he isn't working, he is typically out with me, talking to me, listening to me, fixing something at my house for me, or building something- a lot of times for me or the inn."

"And before you were dating, that certainly couldn't be true."

"Actually mom, it still kind of is. He did others things. He still does other things that don't include me. He has Taylor to bug and nice things to do for people without anyone knowing he's doing them and he was trying to help out his nephew for a few years. Played baseball- a sport that is being resurrected."

Emily cradles her glass as she adjusts her posture on the couch, "Builds what exactly?"

"Uh?" Lorelai shakes her head at the constant changes in direction, "Stuff. Wood stuff."

"Anything in particular, Lorelai or does he just stick two pieces of wood together and call it stuff?"

"No." Rolling her eyes, she looks up at the ceiling, wishing the night would come to an end or that her daughter would magically appear. "I can never come early again" is mumbled silently to herself. "He's amazing with wood mom. He can build anything. He made and carved out a chuppa for my didn't happen wedding. It's now in my backyard. He built the shelves in Rory's room and just recently made her a nightstand designed for her textbooks and in it he carved a symbol for each one of her classes- last year and this. He'll take it back over break to put the new ones on it. It's gorgeous. Fits perfectly."

"I see. Does Rory know what the symbols mean?"

Drawling out the first portion of her short phrase, "Yes, mom." Lorelai sees that she is supposed to hand over a better explanation so completes the statement with three more direct words, "He asked Rory."

"Asked her?"

"Of sorts."

"Of sorts?"

Sighing, "We played a game while Luke was closing up one night- we had to take turns drawing a symbol to match her class title. He didn't play- couldn't convince him to, though we were wearing him down. Was about a month or two ago and he kept the paper and when he arrived last week with the nightstand there were our pictures."

"We have a lovely oak nightstand that would have matched perfectly. One without bizarre engravings."

"She likes those engravings."

"We even have a bookcase to match it. Perfect size for her far wall."

Lorelai rolls her eyes and stands, "I need another drink."

"Beautiful oak."

"I couldn't have been that early so Rory must be running late. Paper probably kept her after."

"It was engraved by Jean-luc something… got it in-" She pauses before announcing, "Jean-luc Briste, that is it. Such a beautiful talent. Taking after his father. Carved perfectly original flowers on it."

"On what?"

"The nightstand Lorelai."

"Oh." Sipping her drink, "I'm sure its lovely mom."

"Perhaps I'll have it delivered."

"Delivered where mom?"

"To Yale."

"Donating it?"

"Of course not. For Rory's room."

"She already has a nightstand mom. And shelves. She doesn't have any more room- dorm rooms only allow her so much space."

"That far wall is empty."

"No its not. Luke put up shelves a couple weeks after the term started."

"But I have a bookcase for her."

"We didn't know that."

"Well, won't take much to replace those with the bookcase. Match perfectly with the nightst- -"

"Mom."

"Yes Lorelai?"

Sucking in a very deep breath, Lorelai attempts to get through to her mother, "Thank you, I'm sure they are lovely but she likes the ones she has."

"That Luke made."

"Yes."

"Instead of the European original carv- -"

"She likes hers- a Luke original. Especially because he made it for her."

Emily's disgusted grunt quiets the conversation, "Fine. Perhaps I should just ask Rory."

"Mom."

"Its her room Lorelai. She should be able to choose."

"Fine. You ask. Make sure to add in the part about how the one she has is horribly carved by an am-craftsmen while yours is a true example of fine French art. That will get her on your side."

Emily places her glass down on the coffee table and folds her hands in her lap, "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what mom?"

"Always make things so complicated."

"Me mom?" Her hands rise and fall dramatically as sarcasm fills her voice, "I dunno, mom. I guess I just enjoy seeing things get all complicated by stating that Rory might wish to keep her own nightstand with the stupid drawings and shelves that are nailed to her wall with pink nails specially painted for her in place and not be pulled down and holes filled in and wall repainted just to add a lovely piece of French architecture that you probably can't fit normal sized books on much less her textbooks on. Not sure why I make things difficult mom. Must just be in my breeding." Lorelai moves from behind the couch, back towards the drink cart. Lifting a stopper, she stares down at the clear liquid.

"There really is no reason to get so dramatic, Lorelai. I'm simply going to ask her a question. She can say no."

"I said fine. Ask her." She closes her eyes and continues to suck in deep breaths as she prays that her daughter will walk in and relieve the tension from the room. The stopper slides from her fingers and back on top of the liquor container as her arms fold, as the question slips from her lips, "What are you going to go after next?"

"Excuse me?"

"Rory informs you that Luke changed the oil in her car," Lorelai turns back around to face her mother, "So the next thing we know there is full race car crew at Yale tuning it p. Luke was asked to change their couch for Paris's new one and he arrives and its done-"

"Well he couldn't have done it alone."

"She asks Luke to fix her window and before he can even arrive, that same day, magically the Yale maintenance people show up," She continues to fight with a piece of hair that refuses to stay out of her eyes, "they show up knowing that its stuck." Her eyebrows raise in mock surprise, "Shocking huh?"

"Definitely."

"So couldn't have been you, right?" Shaking her head at the possibilities, "What, Rory called that afternoon and casually mentions that she needs to stay in the room that evening to work and wait for Luke? So you hopped on your broomstick and took care of it? Called in a few favours? Yelled and turned some poor non-English speaking workers into children to get it done?"

"I saw no reason for her to have to wait."

"And lets not forget her awards dinner- she invited Luke and you make sure Chris shows up-"

"He is her father, Lore-"

"And it was Rory's choice. She chose Luke. Wanted Luke."

"She couldn't except such a prestigious award with him at her side."

"He helped her with the article, mom."

"He did not. Rory has a brilliant talent."

"Yes, mom, she does. But Luke suggested the topic and it was Luke that got the Reverend to open up about public funding and state funding for orphans and soup kitchens. Luke got him to take a big risk for Rory. She was grateful and wanted him to see the award- hear about the donation."

"You two told him as soon as you got home, I'm sure."

"That's not the point. Not how it was supposed to be."

"He heard all the details so I – "

"Mom! What if we didn't invite you to her graduation and just gave you details afterwards? Would even act it all out again for you, but would it be the same?"

"I'm her grandmother."

"And it would suck for you to get only the reenactment and Luke is a very important part of our family- Rory's and mine. And it sucked for him- even if he didn't show it."

"Lorelai, stop being a child. He is not family and just because you are annoyed that your boyfriend wasn't allowed to attend a family function is not my fault. He's your boyfriend- Christopher is Rory's father."

"I'm aware of that. Whether you believe it or not, I do recall who I slept with when I was sixteen, okay? But this is Rory's life. And you seem to think that it's yours lately."

"She could have told Christopher no."

Sighing, "Do you remember the look on her ace? Having to choose and when Luke told her to go and have a good time? Did you see the look? The look mom! The ' this isn't happening' look?"

"I do not recall any particular look that you are creating. She was all smiles and happy." As Lorelai's mouth opens to protest, Emily stands up and successfully cuts her off, "Lorelai, you are manifesting things and I'd like for you to stop."

"And I want you to stop giving Luke such a hard time. Give him a chance."

"See, I knew this had nothing to do with Rory- its you. You are upset because-"

"This included Rory, mom! I can handle you being so… so… well you to Luke. And Luke is handling it. But this is not fair to Rory to be put in he middle all the time. She loves Chris and she loves Luke."

Emily is visibly getting more upset at the conversation, while Lorelai seems to be more wounded and hurt by the experience than anything else, "Christopher is her father-"

"I'm aware of this mother! He was never around!"

"And Luke was." Lorelai and Emily turn their heads quickly towards the archway, "I'd like to tell my feelings on this instead of you two arguing about it."

"How long have you been here?"

Rory moves into the living room and places her purse down on the side of the couch, "Caught the end of the French antique conversation."

"Rory you don't have-"

"Grandma, thank you but I don't want your bookcase. Or the nightstand. Luke's are beautiful and I love them. And I didn't like you stepping in- always one step ahead of him with helping me. I ask him because I trust him. I ask him because I know he cares and that he would do anything for me and because I like to believe that he likes being asked." Pushing hair behind her ear, she looks at the ground as her arms fold over her chest and two sets of eyes stare at her, "He's the rock of the Gilmore Girls home and I want him to know that I may be away but he still is a rock. And is still needed. I wanted him at the dinner. He should have been there and I should have made sure that he was. It was my fault." Looking up at her grandmother, "I didn't want to cause a problem and Luke is so good at knowing that about me- about us and he always backs out to make things easier on us and I guess… I just took the easy way out, but he got hurt and that's my fault."

Shaking her head at her granddaughter, "He's not good enough for either of you."

Lorelai moves to respond to her mother's comment but Rory's strong voice takes over, "No grandma- we're not good enough for him. I trust him more than anyone- minus mom. It's not to hurt your feelings but its true. He has always dropped everything to come running to our aide. He gives us coffee and food and shovels snow and fixes our oven and toaster and replaced the locks that he deemed unsafe-"

"After he broke in."

Smiling at her mother, "Very true. Fixes the shower and plumbing and cleans out the gutters and offered to work on the house and loan money when the bugs came-"

"So he's a handyman- even worse."

"No grandma, he is so much more important than a handyman. He's the guy of the Gilmore home."

"Came to find Stella too when I lost her."

"Yes, saved me from failing my midterm."

Emily looks between her two girls, "Stella?"

"A baby chick I lost."

"I'm sorry." Emily looks down at her clasped hands, "I can't except that. You both deserve more. He is not an equal."

"No, mom you don't equal him. And I think I'm finally getting close to equaling him. For eight long years he has never let me down once. Never disappointed me. Never expected something out of me that I couldn't give and never accepted from me less than what I am. He told me I would survive putting Rory in Chilton and survive my own inn and survive her going to Yale. He also says I'll survive her getting married someday but think he just got carried away and went a step too far."

"Its not the life you were raised for Lorelai."

Lorelai's lips part to answer, but is quieted by Rory's gentle hand on her arm, "Now is not the time. Grandma, sorry but we cannot stay for dinner."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah mom, this evening has no hope for an upside. We'll try again next week perhaps."


End file.
